IRVING, Texas – 2013 Conference USA Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year Jessica Kuster was voted to the C-USA Preseason Team by the league’s 16 coaches, the conference announced on Monday morning. In the preseason coaches’ poll, Rice University was picked to finish 10th in the new-look league.

Kuster earned first team all-conference honors last season as she became the quickest player in program history to reach the 1,000-point scoring mark and just the 18th Rice player to accomplish the feat. Along with fellow C-USA Preseason Team member Ebony Rowe (Middle Tennessee), Kuster is one of two players to average a double-double each of the last three seasons with 16.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in 2012-13.

New league member Middle Tennessee topped the coaches’ poll with 244 points and 8-of-16 first-place votes. UTEP claimed six first-place votes and was selected second with 231 points. Tulane was picked third with 212 points, while Charlotte earned the fourth spot with 196 points and a first-place vote. North Texas claimed the final first-place vote, but was picked 12th overall with 92 points.

Rice was narrowly edged out by 2013 C-USA champion Tulsa for ninth, 116-114.